About Springfield Poultry

The story about Springfield Poultry.

Selling poultry has been in the Mee family for nearly 100 years. From humble beginnings in William Mee’s Lancashire butcher shop, Springfield Poultry, now supplies to restaurants, butchers, wholesalers, farm shops and direct to our customers from the farm and online.

The Springfield Story

as remembered by Rodney Mee a.k.a. Grandad

1936

James Rodney Mee is born.

“I understand I was a difficult little sod to raise and my mum was probably very pleased to eventually send me off to boarding school.”

1959

Rod and Beryl have their first son, Nigel.

While the dairy farm struggles to make ends meet, Beryl finds success with poultry, rearing 6 turkey poults as family Christmas presents. The feedback is so good, Rod decides to rear some to sell. After year one Beryl increases to 100 Turkeys, then 500, rising to 2000 turkeys for Christmas 1962.

1963

Rod and Beryl have their second son, Stewart.

Rod and Beryl produce 5000 Turkeys rising to 10,000 the following year. Finally Springfield Poultry is making money and Rod can pay back the money he has borrowed.

1980

Springfield gets back on track.

After 5 years of determination and hard work the farm gets back on its feet. Despite strict rules on selling areas, the company continues to grow, building a new processing plant and abbatoir fully licensed to EU standards and weekly deliveries of chickens going out to shops and butchers.

2012

Springfield Online!

After launching first website, Springfield chicken and turkey can be bought online.

1956

Aged 20, Rod buys the farm at Steensbridge.

Rod and Beryl marry. Despite not being from a farming background, Beryl gets stuck in on the farm driving tractors, feeding calves and looking after Rod! Rod buys 80 cows and builds a new milking parlour.

“130 acres for less money than you can buy a mini cooper for now. The land was very poor with a fallen down farm house.”

1965

Trouble strikes as the farm gets fowl-pest.

After 4 days the avian disease wipes out all of the Christmas stock. The Ministry of Food closes the farm for 3 months leaving Rod and Beryl with no income.

1973

UK joins the EEC.

A directive from Brussels requires the Mees to find £100,000 for a processing plant and abbatoir or else face closure. Springfield Poultry is put out of business again.

Two years later, the Ministry of Food apologises, but not before Springfield’s customers have flocked elsewhere.

1988

Officially Organic.

Despite having been raising organic chickens and turkeys for a number of years, the farm gets approval from the Soil Association to officially mark certain poultry as organic. A number of non-organic chickens are reared at Springfield Farm. These are fed differently, but all birds are free range.

1936

James Rodney Mee is born.

“I understand I was a difficult little sod to raise and my mum was probably very pleased to eventually send me off to boarding school.”

1956

Aged 20, Rod buys the farm at Steensbridge.

Rod and Beryl marry. Despite not being from a farming background, Beryl gets stuck in on the farm driving tractors, feeding calves and looking after Rod! Rod buys 80 cows and builds a new milking parlour.

“130 acres for less money than you can buy a mini cooper for now. The land was very poor with a fallen down farm house.”

1959

Rod and Beryl have their first son, Nigel.

While the dairy farm struggles to make ends meet, Beryl finds success with poultry, rearing 6 turkey poults as family Christmas presents. The feedback is so good, Rod decides to rear some to sell. After year one Beryl increases to 100 Turkeys, then 500, rising to 2000 turkeys for Christmas 1962.

1963

Rod and Beryl have their second son, Stewart.

Rod and Beryl produce 5000 Turkeys rising to 10,000 the following year. Finally Springfield Poultry is making money and Rod can pay back the money he has borrowed.

1965

Trouble strikes as the farm gets fowl-pest.

After 4 days the avian disease wipes out all of the Christmas stock. The Ministry of Food closes the farm for 3 months leaving Rod and Beryl with no income.

1973

UK joins the EEC.

A directive from Brussels requires the Mees to find £100,000 for a processing plant and abbatoir or else face closure. Springfield Poultry is put out of business again.

Two years later, the Ministry of Food apologises, but not before Springfield’s customers have flocked elsewhere.

1980

Springfield gets back on track.

After 5 years of determination and hard work the farm gets back on its feet. Despite strict rules on selling areas, the company continues to grow, building a new processing plant and abbatoir fully licensed to EU standards and weekly deliveries of chickens going out to shops and butchers.

1988

Officially Organic.

Despite having been raising organic chickens and turkeys for a number of years, the farm gets approval from the Soil Association to officially mark their poultry as organic. A number of free range chickens are also reared by Springfield. These are fed differently, but all birds are reared to soil association standards.

2012

Springfield Online!

After launching first website, Springfield chicken and turkey can be bought online.

“Springfield Poultry has come a long way since 1956. Springfield now has its own refrigerated delivery vehicles, a fully licensed EU processing factory, outside growing sites for our free range chickens, on site brooding and organic chickens grown at Springfield poultry. Beryl and I now have two great sons both with lovely wives, 7 lovely grandchildren, several whom work in the business and several who have completed university. While the story wasn't always positive, I have been very lucky.” - Rod a.k.a. Grandad Mee